Boris Johnson won't rule out comeback as he begins final week as PM

Farewell… but not goodbye? Boris Johnson refuses to rule out political comeback as he begins his valedictory tour of Britain in his final week as PM

• Boris Johnson refuses to rule out a political comeback as he embarks on a farewell tour of Britain
• The outgoing PM declines to answer questions on what he will do when he leaves Number 10 next week
• It has recently been suggested the Mr Johnson is harbouring hopes of a swift return to the political frontline

Boris Johnson today refused to rule out a political comeback as he embarked on a farewell tour of Britain in his final week as Prime Minister.

On a visit to north Dorset, Mr Johnson declined to answer questions on what he would do when leaves Number 10 in a week’s time.

It has recently been suggested the outgoing PM is harbouring hopes of a swift return to the political frontline.

There have also been claims he could look to make a major intervention as soon as the Conservative Party conference in October.

But – speaking to reporters at a site where gigabit-capable broadband is being rolled out as part of a £5billion Government scheme – Mr Johnson swerved an opportunity to set out his future plans.

The PM insisted that voters were ‘more interested in their gigabit broadband than they are in the fate of this or that politician’.

Boris Johnson declined to answer questions on what he would do when leaves Number 10 in a week’s time

The PM visited a north Devon site where gigabit-capable broadband is being rolled out as part of a £5billion Government scheme

Mr Johnson was joined on his trip to the South West by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who has been one of his loyalist supporters

The PM and Ms Dorries both got into the cab of a mole plough during their visit to Henbury Farm

Mr Johnson’s trip to north Devon – for which he was joined by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries – came at the start of what is expected to be a string of visits by the PM across the UK during his final days in office.

As well as hailing his Government’s progress in rolling out gigabit broadband, the PM is also set to use his farewell tour this week to focus on his administration’s efforts in delivering on other Tory manifesto pledges, such as boosting police numbers.

Mr Johnson this afternoon studiously avoided giving any hint on what he planned for his life outside Number 10 –  including whether he was keen on a comeback, if he would settle for a place on the Tory back benches, or whether he might quit politics altogether.

He said: ‘I think people are more interested, in my view – I humbly submit to you, you can disagree if you like – I think, on the whole, the people of this country are more interested in their gigabit broadband than they are in the fate of this or that politician.

‘My job, which I’m very proud to have done over the last few years, is to deliver on what I said I was going to do.

‘I said we would try to get up to 85 per cent gigabit broadband, or 100 per cent gigabit broadband. We’ve gone from seven per cent when I started to 70 per cent in three years, in spite of Covid. That’s not half bad, in my view.’

Mr Johnson also declined to give himself a score out of 10 for his record as PM.

It has recently been suggested the outgoing PM is harbouring hopes of a swift return to the political frontline.

Mr Johnson today insisted that voters were ‘more interested in their gigabit broadband than they are in the fate of this or that politician’

The PM is expected to make a series of visits across the UK this week during his final days in office

One of Mr Johnson’s immediate tasks after being ousted from No10 by a Tory revolt this summer has been to find a new place to live, with reports recently suggesting he and his wife Carrie are looking for a new home in south London’s Herne Hill.

The PM’s downfall was ultimately triggered by a row sparked by accusations of inappropriate behaviour by former Tory deputy chief whip Chris Pincher. 

Asked if he had regrets about the way allegations of misconduct had been dealt with, Mr Johnson said: ‘All those things have to be handled carefully and sensitively and we have processes for dealing with them, and people who have complaints should raise them in the normal way.’

Either Foreign Secretary Liz Truss or ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak will be announced as Mr Johnson’s successor as Tory leader on Monday.

They are then expected to be formally appointed as the new PM on Tuesday.

Yesterday, a leading critic of Mr Johnson claimed the outgoing PM would seek to return to power with a ‘populist’ comeback similar to Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi.

Ex-Cabinet minister Rory Stewart suggested Mr Johnson’s ‘extraordinary ego’ means he’ll be hoping for a second spell in Number 10.

The former Tory MP suggested Mr Johnson could try and copy Mr Berlusconi – the controversial politician who had three separate spells as Italy’s PM, despite persistent scandals such as ‘bunga bunga’ sex parties.

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